President Barack Obama’s nominee to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security cleared a key milestone Wednesday after the Senate Homeland Security Committee endorsed him on a voice vote.

Former Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson’s nomination now heads for the full Senate. If confirmed, he would fill the vacancy left by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who resigned in July to lead the University of California system.

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While Johnson cleared the committee easily, two key senators are still holding up his confirmation. There could still be another ugly confirmation battle, particularly as Republicans this week filibuster a third consecutive vote on a D.C. Circuit court nominee.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told POLITICO that while he still has a hold on Johnson and all future federal nominees, he is making “good progress” in getting the Obama administration to meet his demands.

Graham has vowed to block all presidential nominees in the Senate until the White House agrees to let survivors of last year’s Benghazi attack in Libya appear before Congress.

“We are making good progress. Matter of fact, I had a very good conversation with Department of State today,” Graham told reporters. “I’m hopeful that we’ll come up with a mechanism to be able to interview the survivors in a bipartisan fashion and protecting their security.”